LCA TEJAS MK1 & MK1A: News and Discussion

[pankaj nema]

I hope India to not made the same mistake than with M2000 : too few numbers.
36 Rafale, once you have the test benchs, the bases accomodated, the trainig courses, the spares, and you have paid for dedicated developpments is a little bit idiot. 72 seems a minimum.

And Tejas is late, so will be tekas Mk2, because HAL remains HAL. So your best answer with a mature product, delivered on time and on spec is Rafale.

I guess IAF is waiting for Rafale 4.2 or 4.3 version

4.1 has just been launched by Dassault

 

[MirageBlue]

For deliveries of 74 will go way beyond 2035 if deliveries starts in early 2030 this is also if all goes well and contract is signed at earliest.

Still the same in ball park of delivery period of MK-II

Whichever way you look at it, it conflicts with MK-II

Interesting times we are living in.

Lets see how this unfolds.

Not necessarily.

IF the IAF went to the MoD and GoI and asked to close the MRFA and go in for G2G negotiations for 100 Rafale C/M, then I would suspect it could be all wrapped up within a year of negotiations beginning with the French Govt.

If that happens and a contract is signed by 2025, it would mean 36 months later, the first Rafale M would be rolling off the French assembly line in Merignac and the first batch will probably continue till 2028, after which locally assembled Rafales would be rolling out from an Indian assembly line.

But of course all this is all khayali pulao. Till the IAF wants to continue with the MRFA circus, there is most likely nothing that's going to happen except RFPs and tests and years and years of endless negotiations marred by politics.

 

[SwordOfDarkness]

Hadnt seen this before

 

[BON PLAN]

I guess IAF is waiting for Rafale 4.2 or 4.3 version

4.1 has just been launched by Dassault

std 4.1 is dedicated to already produced Rafale.
std 4.2 is mainly for brand new ones (probably not only the future ones, but also the recent ones). An older Rafale upgrade (ie the french ones !) to F4.2 is possible but more costly because some hardware changed.
As these birds already have some flight hours, the choice of France is to leave the old Rafale to F4.1 (and /or sold them on 2nd hand market).

I've read something about F4.3 only a couple of days ago in a french forum. Don't know what it is made of.

But as F5 seems to be "very different", a F4.4 or F4R... may arrived also.

 

[flanker99]

not sure how reliable putting this here for whatever's sake.

https://www.africaintelligence.com/southern-africa-and-islands/2023/03/16/gaborone-looks-to-procure-indian-hal-fighter-aircraft,109924094-art

 

[jai jaganath]

not sure how reliable putting this here for whatever's sake.

https://www.africaintelligence.com/southern-africa-and-islands/2023/03/16/gaborone-looks-to-procure-indian-hal-fighter-aircraft,109924094-art

Can u post article
It's asking payment

 

[ZuluAlphaPapa]

Can u post article
It's asking payment

here

Negotiations are in progress between the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and the Indian state-owned defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The air force is considering acquiring several of its multirole LCA Tejas fighter aircraft and discussions are currently focusing on how to finance the deal, which may benefit from an export credit supported by the Indian government.

The top brass, under the command of General Hendrick Rakgantswana, have for several years been keen to boost their offensive capacities by replacing their Canadair CF-5 fleet, whose maintenance has become rather challenging on account of the shortage of spare parts. They had been in talks with a number of other operators, initially with Sweden's Saab regarding its JAS 39 Gripen and then with the US company General Dynamics, which proposed upgraded second-hand F-16s. They also approached Leonardo concerning the Italian firm's M-346 light combat aircraft (AI, 19/03/21), but started to look elsewhere after deciding that they were only interested in supersonic fighters.

Above and beyond its Botswanan negotiations, HAL has embarked on a major commercial offensive to promote its Tejas model for export. The manufacturer would particularly like to make inroads in Egypt by building on an MoU on military cooperation signed by Cairo and New Delhi last September. This could pave the way for a technology transfer through the local assembly of Tejas aircraft in Egypt (AI, 12/01/23).

 

[pankaj nema]

 

[s_madaans]

Hadnt seen this before

Same here...Hadn't seen such quality of assembly in any aircraft

 

[NutCracker]

Same here...Hadn't seen such quality of assembly in any aircraft View attachment 197008

Do you even know how many NLCA are built ??
Those are prototypes only..
Only two built till date and you oversmart dumbass want it to be FOC variant quality.

 

[AVAST]

Same here...Hadn't seen such quality of assembly in any aircraft View attachment 197008

whats wrong with it ?

 

[s_madaans]

whats wrong with it ?

check the encircled welding spot of Pipe...a million dollar (even if it is a prototype) aircraft can't have such type craftsmanship...check Nuts & Bolts too near this pipe....Not up to the standards even after producing 30+ LCA aircrafts

 

[s_madaans]

Do you even know how many NLCA are built ??
Those are prototypes only..
Only two built till date and you oversmart dumbass want it to be FOC variant quality.

Dear Mr. over smart dumbass, it does not matter if it is a prototype or a production variant aircraft...what matters is the Process to weld the Canopy glass holding pipes...which HAL ppl are doing for so many years.
go an talk to any quality guy..he will tell you what's wrong here.

 

[SKC]

check the encircled welding spot of Pipe...a million dollar (even if it is a prototype) aircraft can't have such type craftsmanship...check Nuts & Bolts too near this pipe....Not up to the standards even after producing 30+ LCA aircrafts

Doesn't Look shoddy at all. Aircrafts looks cool from a distance but go near it; will give you view of uneven surfaces and bolts and all.

 

[s_madaans]

Doesn't Look shoddy at all. Aircrafts looks cool from a distance but near to it will give you uneven surfaces and bolts and all.

Could be...as I've seen detailed internal image of any aircraft very first time.

 

[AVAST]

check the encircled welding spot of Pipe...a million dollar (even if it is a prototype) aircraft can't have such type craftsmanship...check Nuts & Bolts too near this pipe....Not up to the standards even after producing 30+ LCA aircrafts

That weld looks absolutely fine. I think those are hi-lock rivets, not bolts and they seem okay to me. If an aircraft isn't scratched then isn't used enough.

 

[NutCracker]

Dear Mr. over smart dumbass, it does not matter if it is a prototype or a production variant aircraft...what matters is the Process to weld the Canopy glass holding pipes...which HAL ppl are doing for so many years.
go an talk to any quality guy..he will tell you what's wrong here.

NLCA had its canopy chopped off and redesigned in comparison to airforce variant, because pilot needed more field of view to land safely on deck .
Don't speak on topic you have zero knowledge about.

Could be...as I've seen detailed internal image of any aircraft very first time.

Didn't you just say this above
...

Hadn't seen such quality of assembly in any aircraft

 

[s_madaans]

NLCA had its canopy chopped off and redesigned in comparison to airforce variant, because pilot needed more field of view to land safely on deck .
Don't speak on topic you have zero knowledge about.


Didn't you just say this above
...

O LDC...I am talking about Manufacturing/ Assembly Process....Go n learn DFM/A first & then talk to me.

 

[SwordOfDarkness]

Same here...Hadn't seen such quality of assembly in any aircraft View attachment 197008

Weld seems fine, what was the issue?

 

[NutCracker]

O LDC...I am talking about Manufacturing/ Assembly Process....Go n learn DFM/A first & then talk to me.

I don't need to take instructions from you who doesn't even know why canopy is welded and looking like that.

I bet HAL engineers know more than you who has "never seen detailed picture of cockpit before".